Ed Christian's World

On Fear…

As I was growing up Grandfather would teach me what he called the litany of life. Things like: Truth has a way of repeating itself throughout history and contrary to the idea that history begins at breakfast, it actually started before you were born. The one that literally burned itself in my mind is the one on fear.

Fear is the Mind Killer

He taught me from a young age and part of the training was learning to tame and use the mind. This of course is one of the purposes of meditation. In the training series, when fear appears, we would repeat an incantation to help move their minds past the fear. The Litany goes as follows:

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

Now this is a nice way to look fear in the face and to dissipate its effects when faced with a dangerous situation. It helps to focus the mind inward and to have courage. However there is a better way to look at it and know God is always there to protect us.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. Psalm 23

The 23rd chapter of Psalm is one of the most quoted in the bible, most often at a funeral. But, have you really looked closely at it to see how it fits our everyday life? I have broken it down here for a bit of a clearer understanding

The Lord is my shepherd and makes sure I have everything I need. Without Him I would be lost.

He gives a me green pasture for which to graze and sleep. He provides still water for me to drink. In case you didn’t know lambs won’t drink from moving water.

He restores my soul: He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. He provides guidance in all circumstances, if we ask.

He offers me comfort and protection so that I have nothing to fear. He is always there to watch over me.

He stands with me in the presence of my enemies. He covers me with His love and blessings and my cup overflows. Goodness and mercy follows me everywhere and He has prepared a place for me in His house for me to live forever.

Psalm 91 is another good example of how God is our refuge.

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday. Psalm 91:1-6

When we open that up a bit we see: He that by faith chooses God for his protector, shall find all in him that he needs or can desire. And those who have found the comfort of making the Lord their refuge, cannot but desire that others may do so.

The spiritual life is protected by Divine grace from the temptations of Satan, which are as the snares of the fowler, and from the contagion of sin, which is a noisome pestilence. Great security is promised to believers in the midst of danger.

Wisdom shall keep them from being afraid without cause, and faith shall keep them from being unduly afraid. Whatever is done, our heavenly Father’s will is done; and we have no reason to fear. God’s people shall see, not only God’s promises fulfilled, but his threatenings.

Then we go to verse 9-16: If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angel concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him;  I will be with him in trouble,  I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation. Psalm 91:9-16

Again, let’s take a closer look at this: Whatever happens, nothing shall hurt the believer; though trouble and affliction befal, it shall come, not for his hurt, but for good, though for the present it be not joyous but grievous.

Those who rightly know God, will set their love upon him. They by prayer constantly call upon him. His promise is, that he will in due time deliver the believer out of trouble, and in the mean time be with him in trouble.

The Lord will manage all his worldly concerns, and preserve his life on earth, so long as it shall be good for him. For encouragement in this he looks unto Jesus. He shall live long enough; till he has done the work he was sent into this world for, and is ready for heaven.

Who would wish to live a day longer than God has some work to do, either by him or upon him? A man may die young, yet be satisfied with living. But a wicked man is not satisfied even with long life. At length the believer’s conflict ends; he has done forever with trouble, sin, and temptation.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Lincoln’s Hand…

The Emancipation Proclamation which would officially abolish slavery in the South was brought to Abraham Lincoln’s desk on January 1, 1863. Lincoln picked up a pen, dipped it in ink, and unrolled the document.

He was about to sign it, when he hesitated. He laid down his pen and did nothing for a few minutes. His hand was tired and he was afraid it may tremble as he signed the document, and that trembling would cause people to think that he hesitated in signing what would be the greatest act of his life.

After resting his hand a few minutes, Lincoln again picked up his pen and wrote with a firm hand, “Abraham Lincoln.” One of the secrets of living a life of greatness is not only doing what’s right, but doing what’s right with all your heart, without hesitation, without wavering.

The Bible tells us to do all things wholeheartedly. Therefore, whatever you can’t do with your whole heart – stop doing it. But, on the other hand, if something is right, then do it, with all your heart, without hesitation, without wavering, and, like Abraham Lincoln, with a very firm hand.

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. Ephesians 6:7-8

What is the Lord calling you to do – something you know is right? Do it today – and do it with all your heart.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The 12 Days Of Christmas…

If you’ve listened to the song “The 12 Days Of Christmas” you have probably wondered who this true love is that is spreading all these gifts. The truth is actually written in the Bible. Let me break it down for you.

The partridge in the pear tree, naturally, represents Jesus Christ.

2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments.

3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues.

4 Calling Birds = The Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists.

5 Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the “Pentateuch,” which gives the history of man’s fall from grace.

6 Geese A-laying = The six days of creation.

7 Swans A-swimming = The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments.

8 Maids A-milking = The eight beatitudes.

9 Ladies Dancing = The nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit.

10 Lords A-leaping = The ten commandments.

11 Pipers Piping = The eleven faithful apostles.

12 Drummers Drumming = The twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed.

Our true love is God – who is and always will be there for each and everyone of us. As we understand all the blessings He gives us and how we just seem to overlook how He is always the One who pulls us back on the path when we stray.

Maybe now everyone will begin to understand just how much He is in our everyday life and just how blessed we are that He is always there.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

It Is Said – somewhere…

Hebrews 2:6 states, “There’s a place where someone has testified: What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?”

It’s as if the writer doesn’t know which place or who has testified. The place he’s talking about is a Psalm, and the person who testified is King David. Why doesn’t the writer of Hebrews just say it?

It doesn’t matter who testified. The point is…God. If it’s a blessing, it’s from God. When David testified, it was the Spirit of God in David testifying. It didn’t matter so much who was testifying, because it was ultimately God testifying.

Many believers long to see God touch their lives or show a sign of His love. However, when your brother or sister in the Lord came over and encouraged you, it was God. When they put their arm around you to comfort you, or called you, or sent you a card, it was God.

Open your eyes. God’s love is all around you. The love of His brethren is His love for you. Someone has testified, and many testified, all of this truth, “God loves you.”

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

Be confident today knowing that God loves you, that He cares for you, and that He will never leave you alone.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Why Does God…

I received the following email the other day:

Ed, my name is George and am in Mike’s Sunday school class. I really enjoy your emails. I wonder if you would share your thoughts on why God allows bad things to happen to good people.

I responded:

George, If we, as Christians, believe God doesn’t let anything happen without reason then we also have believe it is a teaching moment. Our technology, medically and otherwise, has grown from someone looking to fix something bad that has happened to someone else.

Our growing experiences have come from learning from our mistakes or the mistakes of others we have learned from. That would be the simple answer, but there are many answers to your question as people have been asking it for years. Suffering is a way of life because we share our grief, feelings, loss and Love. Then we turn it all over to Jesus, who suffered more than any of us will ever have to. He gave his life to redeem us and give us eternal life.

When I was injured in Vietnam I almost died and was actually pronounced dead, but God had other plans for me and brought me back to share that experience and show His grace and compassion. Am I a good person? Biblically no, for God is Good, I am nothing but a sinner. None of us can be considered good compared to God.

To completely answer your question, I don’t think there is one good answer for He wants us to learn and grow to help others have a better life. I just have Faith that He will let me know when I stand in front of Him. That being said I use every experience, good and bad as a lesson to be learned and faithfully seek to find the blessing with each.

Then I take those blessing and share them with everyone who crosses my path.I hope this gives you some insight towards the answer you seek. Respectfully, Ed

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I, over the years, have answered that question about 10 times for different ministers and they usually come back with rebuttal something like how can that justify the suffering?

I usually offer this response: God offers us eternal life, but doesn’t promise us life will be easy. Do you know the phrase “If I only knew then what I know now”? Just think of all the suffering we could have avoided if we knew then how to prevent it from happening in the first place. That is the lesson we learned – how to prevent it.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

I write about my life experiences because I want to share the blessings I have received and the lessons I’ve learned. My hope is that they enlighten others about the strength of the love, light and hope He wields while watching over us. He is giving us this strength in the form of blessings to share with others. I can only shine my light and hope others learn from it.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Redeem The Time…

Modern life is filled with time saving devices and instant everything. We have washing machines, dishwashers, microwave ovens, instant coffee, oatmeal, pudding, banking, computer shopping, fast food – fast, instant everything.

It’s amazing how much time we’ve saved. With all these time saving devices, products, and services…. how come we’re always out of time? There should be a time surplus, a storehouse of extra, saved up, U.S. government surplus time! Where is it? How come there’s never enough time to go around? It doesn’t make any sense.

The answer is, “In the beginning, God…” Time began with God. Time comes from God, not from appliances and computers. Time comes from God and is given to the heart. Unless you spend time with God, in His Sabbath peace, and receive from God His shalom, His fullness of life, you’ll never have enough time.

You’ll never have enough of anything. Forget your time saving and start receiving time and life which only comes in the presence and peace of God. You don’t have time to be with God? No my friend, you don’t have time not to.

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

Spend time with the One today who took the time to create you.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The City On The Hill…

Harvard College was founded in 1638 by Puritans, for the purpose of training missionaries for the gospel. Up until the year 1700, over half of its graduates went into ministry. By the mid-19th century, the last members of spirituality were quickly disappearing.

Yale University was founded in 1701. From the beginning, its president taught students on subjects such as “The Bible is the Word of God.” A gospel group from the university traveled the country preaching salvation.

Yet, like Harvard, Yale’s evangelical stand soon disappeared. In one graduating class, 54% said they had no belief in any God. All these universities eventually left the gospel and became secular.

They all were founded for one purpose, the glory of God – yet they all ended up completely forgetting the purpose for which they were founded. It happens all the time, not just to universities, but to believers.

Maybe you started out pure and full of zeal to serve the Lord. However, maybe you’ve gotten distracted, caught up in other things and forgotten the very purpose for which you exist.

Come back. Re-consecrate yourself to knowing and serving the Lord. Don’t end up like Harvard.

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction,  faithful in prayer. Romans 12:11-12

Don’t go by your feelings today. Don’t give in and don’t give up in all that you do for Him.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Rock Of Ages…

When everything around us changes, becomes chaotic, or comes crashing down, it’s easy to wonder where God is, or where in all these things is His hand, and His promises.

Yet it is the very nature of this world and of our circumstances – to change, to become chaotic, and to fall – that underscores the reality of God. All things change but Him. Thus, while the world is linked to sand, the Lord is called “the Rock.”

If we stand, build, rest, our lives on the world and our circumstances, then we’re building on sand and will be easily shaken, moved, and cast down. But if we ground everything in our lives, our thoughts, our emotions, our hopes, our joys, our faith, not on this world but what is beyond it, on Him, the Rock, we will not be moved. As it is written:

“God is our refuge and strength
A very present help in trouble
Therefore we will not fear
Even though the earth be removed
And though the mountains be carried
into the midst of the sea…”

The thing that convinced me that God was real was the fact that what was written in the Scriptures thousands of years ago was now coming true. The Jewish people would be scattered to the ends of the earth but then, in the last days, God would gather them back and bring them into their land.

He would resurrect the nation of Israel from the dead. Thus, it is not only that God is real and His Word is true, but that God is faithful. When He makes a promise, He will keep it.

Throughout all the turmoil of our times, there exists a nation of Israel as a witness that stronger than the chaos of this world is the faithfulness of God. And it’s not just the chaos and turmoil of the world, but the chaos and turmoil we encounter in this life. Stronger still is God’s faithfulness.

If He keeps His promise to the children of Abraham, after two and three and four thousand years, He will surely keep His promise to you. And His promises are many. He will keep you. He will never forsake or abandon you. He will be with you always. He will work all things in your life – the good, the bad, and the ugly – for good, for blessing, for glory.

It is upon that which you must build, ground, and establish your life, your hope, your heart, your faith. He is our Rock. And upon Him, we shall not be shaken. May God greatly bless you as you stand upon the Rock.

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.  Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal. Isaiah 26:3-4

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed